


Cinderella

by K3ira



Category: Gintama
Genre: Cinderella Elements, F/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-06-17
Updated: 2019-11-10
Packaged: 2020-05-13 19:16:04
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 6
Words: 12,439
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19257496
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/K3ira/pseuds/K3ira
Summary: She had the chance to live her fantasy. However, it only lasts until midnight.It has the themes of Cinderella, but with little tweaks here and there.





	1. Chapter 1

After all of the house chores have been completed, and her step-mother dismissed her for the night, Kagura went to her room. Once she walked inside the small, cramped space, she immediately plopped herself onto her bed, careful not to wake up the sleeping Sadaharu #27.

She sighed, tilting her head towards the open window in her room, admiring the stars that would twinkle in the night sky. 

From the window, she could see the palace. She longed to visit the castle one day, not to see the handsome prince, but to see if the rumors were true. According to various sources, the palace only served exquisite and fancy food, which made Kagura's mouth water at the thought of it. 

Sure, at some point in time, she wonders what the prince looks like. Like any other woman in the Kabuki District, or in all of Edo for that matter, she was genuinely curious to see what the prince looks like. The men in the city could care less on what his physical appearance could look like. 

After the death of his sister, Princess Mitsuba, he isolated himself from the public, much to his parent's dismay. At the age of 18, the king and queen requested that he would make at least one public appearance on National TV. 

Wanting to satisfy his parents request, he briefly appeared when his parents mentioned him. He quickly gave a quick smile and wave towards the camera, and then commercials started to play. 

Newspapers and TV news were all about the brief appearance of the prince for a whole week. Rumors and theories began, but Kagura paid little to no attention. She only heard of the news, but she has yet seen the prince. 

"The prince has isolated himself because of the death of his sister? How stupid is that?" Kagura thought. After thinking about it for a while, she realized she was no different. 

After the death of her real mother, she refused to even talk to her father or her brother. She locked herself in her small room and cried until her body couldn't produce tears anymore. The only time she would come out of her room was when she needed to eat, and go to the bathroom. 

To help cope with the anger and sadness welled up inside of her, Kagura often practiced her combat skills with a wooden dummy inside her room. She yelled and screamed when her emotions got the best of her, but no matter how loud she was, she could never bring her mother back from the grave. 

**********************************************************

Fast-forward 2 years later, Kagura found herself doing the exact same thing she did 2 years ago. Looking at the palace through the open window, wishing she could go inside and taste the food, all while laying on her bed, next to a sleeping Sadaharu. 

Before completely going to bed, she thought about her "deceased" family. 

Well, her Papi and Baka-Aniki (Idiot Brother) aren't completely dead, but they were reported as 'Missing' when they went out of town for a mission. Doing these 'Missions' was the only money income the family had. 

She lost her mother due to an illness, and after her death, the family needed money more than ever. 

The family needed money badly, so her Papi had to something that Kagura would've never thought of:  
Marrying a second time. 

Her 2nd mother was old, and she had tons of wrinkles. She would joke with her brother that for every wrinkle on her face, that's how much money they would have x10.

Her step-mother had money, but she certainly didn't have as much as the royal family. All of her money was made by the shop she owned: Otose Snack House. She claims she would've had more money if the lazy bums living above the bar would actually pay their rent. 

The mother had 2 daughters. The first one had cat ears and an ugly face, and the second daughter had green hair and a flawless face. She always spoke in a robotic tone, though. 

Kagura never really liked her step-mother, but if she made her Papi happy, then she was happy. They were a decent family, for a while anyway. 

When her Papi and Aniki were reported 'Missing', her step-mother didn't give a damn. She got access to the house and the maid that came with it: Kagura. In other words, she got easy labor, and she didn't even have to pay her. 

Her daughter, Catherine, always pushed Kagura around telling her to do this and that for her. Other the other hand, her second daughter, Tama, wouldn't bother Kagura at all, and did everything she needed for herself. At times, she would even help Kagura, much to her appreciation. 

Kagura took a deep breath before saying her good nights to her family. She went on her knees on the bed, and closed her cerulean eyes.

"I miss you guys. Otose-san is being a b*tch like usual. Same goes for Catherine. Tama has been helpful more than ever, and I'm grateful for that. Hope you guys come back soon, this fake family of mine is making my life a living hell. I love you and goodnight."

After she opened her eyes, she dropped from her knees to her back, allowing herself to meet the hard mattress beneath her. She positioned her pillow, and laid down, covering herself with a small pink blanket. 

Like any other night, Kagura had a difficult time trying to sleep.


	2. Chapter 2

Okita-Isao Sougo, or the king's adopted son, was sharpening his samurai skills with his advisor, "Hijibaka" or Toushirou Hijikata, at 12 in the afternoon. The prince provoked him by insulting him as per usual, and attempted to murder him by launching a missile towards him, thus leading to a sparring match. 

He often liked torturing him, as he was the prince's only source of entertainment when he chose to be isolated from the outside world. He would often put laxatives in his mayonnaise, shoot missiles at him with a bazooka, throw his sword towards him, perform rituals, etc. 

The prince had a source of hatred for his advisor. Not only was he the vice-chief of the Shinsengumi, the position he wanted but couldn't have because he had "prince duties", but because he also managed to capture his deceased sister's heart. However, he didn’t return her feelings, or at least, he never told her how he felt. Deep down, he regrets never telling her, because now, he can’t. Not in person, anyways. 

His advisor was always outshining him, and sometimes Sougo wonders why his father chose to adopt him and Mitsuba instead of him. He actually acted mature, respected his elders, and did everything in a “prince-like” manner. 

After 3 rounds, Sougo was declared the winner of the sparring match. Both of them were panting heavily. 

"Heh, good round." Hijikata breathed, as he dropped his sword. "However, rather than always aiming for the head first, aim for the limbs. That way, the opponent would have slower hits, allowing you to easily dodge them. This way, you save up stamina."

After his brief speech, he immediately took a cancer stick, and lit it up with his iconic mayonnaise lighter. He puffed some smoke out within a matter of seconds. 

Sougo scoffed. "It's a good technique, but that means playing too defensive. As you may have noticed, I play aggressively."

Hijikata gave him a glare, but then shrugged. 

"Whatever you say." He started to walk towards the shoji with splatters of red all over his white shirt. He picked up the black Shinsengumi jacket, and draped it over his left shoulder. 

"Oh yeah, the king requests that you meet in the throne room quarter to 2. Something about your future princess/queen or marriage." He gave him a quick wave, and slid the shoji open. He then walked out of the mini dojo in the palace. 

Sougo groaned. 

He hated when he had to do these "prince" things. He was forced to act proper and polite, as a prince should be. Or in other words, he had to act everything he was not. 

A doctor came into the dojo with a tray full of medical supplies, and quickly tended his wounds. 

Little cuts and bruises were nothing to Sougo, but as royalty, you must be in tip-top condition, meaning no bruises or blood allowed. 

The doctor asked the prince to sit down and to remove his shirt. Sougo quickly complied. 

The doctor knelt on his knees, and began to disinfect the wounds that had been inflicted by Hijikata using an alcohol wipe, causing Sougo grunt in pain. Afterwards, the doctor wrapped a whole bandage roll around his waist, and wrapped parts of his arms to help minimize the bleeding. 

To take care of the bruises, the doctor soaked a cotton ball with a weird blue liquid, and applied it to the affected areas. The bruises were practically healed on contact. 

The doctor stood up, and picked the tray off from the ground. He walked towards the shoji, thanking the prince for his cooperation, and then slid the shoji closed. 

Sougo put on his shirt, and sat against the wall thinking about what he was going to do next. 

He didn't want to meet girls with fake smiles plastered on their faces.

Why couldn't he get out of the palace, and just meet a girl on the streets and marry her? 

Oh, that's right. Princes have to marry princesses. 

"How come I can't be like Prince Eric from 'The Little Mermaid' and marry a fish who isn't a princess?" Sougo wondered.

At this point, he would much rather marry a fish than those princesses from neighboring countries. He has met some of them, but he wasn't willing to marry any of them. The way they acted sweet, and coy, was enough to make Sougo want to slap them. Why were all princesses like that? 

He wants a girl who's independent, and strong. One who isn't afraid to speak her mind, yet kind and gentle. And obedient. After all, they must be willing to be his M. If they weren't, what's the point of them becoming his wife in the first place? 

As he was lost in thought, someone knocked on the shoji door. 

"Come in!" Sougo shouted.

A maid slid the door open, and walked in. She immediately dipped her head in a bow. She came back up, looking at Sougo directly.

"Sorry for disturbing you, Your Highness, but your father has requested that I come retrieve you and get you ready for the meeting at 1:45 pm."

Sougo rolled his eyes, and nodded. 

"Alright." He stood up from his spot. "Lead the way."

The maid bowed once again, walking out of the dojo, with the prince right behind her.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello again! This chapter has been split into 2, so I'll be able to post the 2nd part later today. After that, I'll start writing Kagura's story. Until then! <3  
> -K3ira


	3. Chapter 3

Within an hour, Sougo was dressed in a simple red kimono, much to his surprise. 

He was expecting to wear expensive and fancy clothing, but nope. He wore clothes that civilians would wear, but in a much better quality, of course. He was a prince, after all. (A crappy prince, may I add.)

He spent the remaining 45 minutes sleeping in one of the guest rooms, mainly because it was the closest to the fitting room, and he was feeling tired. 

Another maid knocked on the door, waking him up. He groaned in annoyance, and opened the door to be greeted by his advisor.

"Yo. You ready?" Hijikata asked, puffing a puff smoke out. Sougo rolled his eyes, and pushed the man to side, and followed to guards waiting outside his room. 

He was escorted to the throne room, where his mother and father sat on their respective thrones. 

The 22-year old prince dipped his head in a bow towards his parents, showing respect towards them. Everyone else present in the room repeated the princes actions. 

Sougo brought his head back up, and scanned the room. His parents were wearing simple red kimonos, just like him, but with gold dragons weaved in them. The room was normal, no extra decorations, or no extra family pictures hung on the walls. Everything was normal, much to his surprise. Again. Something was up. 

Usually when a princess from a different country comes to the palace, the throne room is completely dazzled up. Pictures, and jewels would be all over the walls, and floors. Not today, apparently. 

"Any extra staff may be excused, including you, Hijikata-san." The queen of Edo said. Her brown eyes looked calm, but at the same time, looked like they were gonna explode within seconds. 

The guards, and Hijikata bowed and left the room, leaving behind a confused Sougo. 

"Okay, Hijibaka said something about marriage. Does that mean we're talking about possible princesses today? If the room isn't dolled up, maybe that's why? What if there's no princesses that wanna marry me? Maybe I can convince them that I don't want to marry a princess?" Sougo thought. 

Both of his parents rose from their thrones, and walked down a few stairs. They walked towards the confused prince. His father draped his right arm around Sougo's shoulders. 

"How about we go eat!" Kondo Isao, the king of Edo exclaimed, leading his son and wife to the Royal dining room. 

**********************************************************  
Rather than waiting for his parents to just spill it, Sougo just straight up asked them what's going on.

Tae Shimura-Isao, or the queen of Edo, immediately stopped cutting her steak. Her husband just choked on his food. 

"Nothing's going on!" Kondo said, coughing in between words. He began chugging down a glass of water, but quickly spat it out, and starting coughing more rapidly. 

Tae smiled brightly as she "patted" her husband's back to help ease the coughing. By patted, I mean slapped. A really, really hard slap. Kondo's mouth spat out a little black blob on the floor, presumably a little piece of his wife's tamagoyaki. Apparently, Tae slipped a piece of egg in his dish, and well, he couldn't down it. Sougo began to question his father's diet. 

Tae sighed, and her husband chugged down yet another glass of water. 

"Well, we were going to tell you in a more… calm manner, but I guess we'll tell you directly." Her words made Sougo squirm in his seat a little. A "calm" manner? How do you tell your son that he has to get married to a stupid princess in a 'calm' manner?

Rather than making a fuss and creating a scene, Sougo simply nodded, signalling for his parents to continue. 

On the outside, his emotion seemed calm, and serene. Maybe a bit curious. On the inside, however, his emotions were all over the place. He felt angry and pissed off. Even scared. He didn't wanna marry someone he didn't love. After all, isn't a marriage declaring ones love for another? 

After he calmed his coughing, it was now Kondo's turn to sigh. 

"Well, me and your mother have decided on what to do with you and how to discover your future bride." He began. "We've seen how you act with the princesses, and what we see isn't exactly how we would… . Um… imagine you to react."

Sougo began to eat a small piece of bread, with a thin layer of butter spread on the top. "Hah? I thought I was being a perfect gentleman towards those ladies." He licked his lips, licking off the excess butter that was lingering on them. 

Kondo slightly twitched as his sons words. 

"If a so-called 'perfect gentlemen' include insulting them because of their make-up, or because of their breast sizes, then yes, you were being a 'perfect gentleman'."

Sougo shrugged, and poured some tea into a cup. 

"Not my fault they weren't attractive. Besides, those princesses thought by covering their face with foundation, it would cover their imperfections. I just opened their eyes to reality by telling them make-up just highlighted their imperfections even more. And, that by stuffing their bras with tissues won't get them bigger boobs. That's why they invented plastic surgery. Now those girls are probably thanking me for the great advice. Don't wear make-up, and get plastic surgery."

Kondo rolled his eyes, and Tae simply giggled. 

"We sure raised you well, Sougo." Tae cheered. Sougo chuckled mainly because it was his sister who raised him, but whatever. "But, we want what's best for both our kingdom and you. In order for our kingdom to succeed, it's king needs a queen. You're the next king, and you don't have a queen. You want to be the king and have a consort, right?"

Sougo took her words to heart. Yes, he did want to be king, and yes, he wanted a queen. When he has the crown, the Shinsengumi is in his control. He gets to command them, and tell them to do his bidding. As for the queen, he always wanted to start his own family. He wanted to have a wife to love, and have strong kids to train. (By train, he means to teach them how to be sadistic and to teach them torture methods to torture Hijikata) But, to have a queen, she would need to be a princess first. And the princesses he met were never going to be his wife. Even if he met more, he already knows he wouldn't like them. All princesses are too...girly. If that even makes sense.

Sougo chose his words carefully. He needed to persuade them, and convince them that marrying a princess would gain no benefits for the country or himself. He didn’t want to marry someone he didn’t love, or someone the kingdom didn’t like. Judging by the protests outside of the castle whenever a princess visited, he could guess that the citizens didn’t like her.

“It would be an honor to become the king, and have a queen. However, for me to become king, I must have a princess sworn to me as stated by the oath.”

The oath a prince or princess must take in order to become the ruler consists of the following:

1\. They must be at least 18 years of age.  
2\. They must be willing to make any sacrifices to protect both themselves, and their kingdom.  
3\. They must have a princess/prince sworn to them, and the marriage must be done before the becoming of a king/queen.  
4\. They must bore at least one child, and the eldest would be considered the next in line for the throne, regardless of gender.  
5\. They must have the citizens of the kingdom interests at heart. If planning to make new adjustments, they must ask citizens for their opinion.

“However,” Sougo took a sip of his now cooled tea, and continued. “After the encounters with those princesses, I realized that having one of them as my wife wouldn’t be beneficial towards us."

Kondo opened his mouth to object, but Sougo's hand went up, silencing him. 

"Think about it. As the 2nd and 3rd parts of the oath states, I am willing to marry a princess, even if I don't love them. That's a sacrifice I'm willing to make." He bit his tongue at the last part. He's willing, but at the same time, he's not. "However, that would conflict with the 5th part where I have to have the citizens interests at heart. After those protests, I think it’s safe to say that the citizens aren’t liking the whole ‘princess’ thing."

Sougo sipped his tea again, allowing his words to be absorbed by his parents. 

Tae smiled gently, and looked at her husband. Her eyes asked him a question. At his nod, she began to speak. 

"Your father and I are glad that your thinking like this. We've been talking after we've seen the encounters that you've had with the princesses, and decided that rather than marrying a princess, you may marry a commoner if that is your choice."

Sougo smiled brightly at his mother's words, but didn't make a scene. Finally, he was going to find someone special, someone who understands him, and hopefully, stand him. Dealing with a sadistic prince isn’t all that simple.

Before he started celebrating, something came to his mind.

“Wait a minute. The oath states that the prince must marry a princess. How’s that gonna work if I chose to marry a commoner?” Sougo asked. 

Kondo smiled. “We must have the citizens opinion on this whole ‘prince marrying commoner’ thing, right? I’m pretty damn sure mothers aren’t going to miss the chance of having their daughters becoming a princess.” 

Sougo laughed. It’s true, no mother would want to waste the opportunity of their daughter becoming royalty. And, becoming rich. Besides, who wouldn’t want to marry a handsome prince like himself?

I’ll give you a hint, there’s one girl in town who could give a less of a damn about that prince.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello again! This is the 2nd part of the previous chapter. I'll begin writing Kagura's story ASAP, so stay tuned. Until then!  
> -K3ira


	4. Chapter 4

Kagura woke up at the dawn of the morning, aka 4 AM. (1) 

The sun was barely visible on the horizon, but it's bright yellow rays were mixing with the light blue in the sky. 

She got up from her bed, and looked around her room searching for Sadaharu. He was sleeping peacefully on the other side of her bed, probably dreaming about that other dog he met at the park the other day. 

Kagura quietly made her bed, making sure there wasn’t any crinkles in the blanket. Afterwards, she ever so carefully opened her wardrobe, and changed from her pink bunny PJ'S to her normal everyday clothes. She changed into a plain red T-shirt and black shorts. She then grabbed the brush that was resting on top of the wardrobe, and brushed her long vermillion hair. She then put her hair into two buns, and covered them with her iconic hair ornaments, allowing the excess hair to flow in the back. 

She then walked over to her sleeping dog, and placed a gentle kiss on his head. To Kagura, Sadaharu is the last of her real family. She fondly remembers the days where her and her brother would run around outside with raindrops and mud splattered on their faces. They attempted to play fetch with Sadaharu, and it ended up with them both bathing the dog for an hour due to all of the mud stuck in the dog’s snow white fur. Even though cleaning that dog was like having a stick up her ass, she didn’t regret anything at all.

Kagura thought that the feeling of happiness that was evident in that day in the rain would last forever, or for however long “forever” within her family. But then, both of her remaining family members were deemed “Missing”. Naturally, she was devastated by the news. When she felt like there was nothing to live for in the world, that monstrous dog of hers never failed to cheer her up. Even when it seemed like the world was going to hell for her, Sadaharu made the world seem less dark. She vows to keep the Inugami healthy, safe, and happy.

**********************************************************

By 10 AM, multiple house chores had to be completed. Her step-mother was quite strict about which chores had to be completed at which time, and how to do each chore. If something was out of place, or wasn’t performed a specific way, Otose-san would make her do all over again. 

Kagura began cleaning the living room as per usual. She grabbed a white apron from the cleaning closet, and began dusting off the coffee table with a feather duster. She dusted the top of the TV, as well as the smaller glass tables beside the couch. While humming a catchy cartoon theme song, she started to dance while dusting off the lamps and the little white cabinet which stored pictures of the family. In that white cabinet, there’s only pictures of Otose-san and her two daughters, not that Kagura payed attention. She was told to clean this and that, and that cabinet so happened to be something she needed to dust off.

After straightening the couch covers and watering the plants in the room, Kagura moved on to the 2 bathrooms. She scrubbed the tiles on the floor, cleaned the sinks, and replaced the towels. She then did the laundry, tossing the clothes into the washing machines. While waiting for the loads to finish, she began to sweep the entire bottom floor. After that, the laundry was done, so Kagura began folding everything. Finally, she went into the kitchen.

She prepared her family’s silver breakfast trays by setting plates and silverware onto them. Then, she began to make their actual breakfast. Her step-mother requested matcha green tea and some white rice accompanied with some grilled salmon, while Catherine requested oolong tea with just white rice and a small tamagoyaki (2). Tama can’t digest food, since robots can’t, so she didn’t request anything as per usual.

Kagura began their dishes by boiling two seperate teapots full of water on the stove for the tea. Then, she headed over to the sink to wash the rice. She rubbed the grains between her hands, removing any excess starch from them. After she washed the rice, she transferred the rice pot full of clean rice into the rice cooker, and added the designated amount of water into it. She then pressed the “COOK” button, and began on her step-mother’s salmon.

Her mother likes the salmon plain, simply seasoned with some salt and pepper. Apparently, too much salt is bad for the skin, so she wishes to not digest too much of it. 

“As if her skin can get any worse…” Kagura mumbled as she lightly seasoned the fillet with salt and pepper.

She prepared a pan with oil thinly spread on the bottom of the pan, and put it over medium-high heat. As she waited for the oil to get hot, she began to make Catherine’s tamagoyaki. She opened the fridge to get the eggs, and cracked two eggs into a small bowl. 

“I want to maintain my model-like figure, so make me a small tamagoyaki for breakfast. I get the nutrients I need, and I get to keep my great body!” Catherine exclaimed last night.

“Pfffft, even Gin-chan has a better body.” Kagura thought as she beat the two eggs together. 

She then added a pinch of salt, pepper, and a little sugar for some sweetness, and beat everything together with her chopsticks. After she set the bowl to the side, she returned to the pan with hot oil in it. Slowly, she dropped the fish into the pan, causing bubbles of oil to form and splash out. Kagura waited a bit before flipping the fish, and allowed the other side to cook. When the other side of the fish cooked, she turned off the heat, and used a spatula to transfer the fish from the pan to a plate.

After that, she plopped the pan into the sink. Then, she took out the makiyakinabe (3) pan and oiled it lightly. She put the pan over the stove, and heated the oil. She poured a little of the egg mixture into the pan, and quickly spread it out into a thin layer. When the edges dried up, she rolled the egg with a spatula. She repeated the process until she ran out of egg mixture. When everything was cooked, she transferred the tamagoyaki onto a different plate, and dumped all of the dirty dishes into the sink.

Now that the main meal was done, Kagura began to work on the tea. By now, the water was done boiling. Carefully, she took both pots off of the stove which was now turned off, and set them on a piece of cloth. Then, she opened the lid on both. She placed a few tea bags into each one, and put the lid back on, allowing the tea to steep. The sink was now calling to her, and she began to wash the dirty dishes with soap and warm water.

She loaded the now clean pans and bowl into the dishwasher, letting the excess water drip out. She grabbed two tea cups and two small bowls from a cabinet, and placed one on each tray. The rice cooked beeped, indicating that the rice was now done. Using a rice paddle, Kagura scooped some rice into each bowl, and placed one bowl per tray. She grabbed the teapots and placed the matcha one on her mother’s tray, and oolong onto Catherine’s tray. Finally, she placed the plate with the salmon and the tamagoyaki onto their trays and now, breakfast was complete. Well, for them, anyways. 

Kagura took Catherine’s tray, and carefully walked up the stairs. She walked down the hall until her room was at the end. Kagura gently placed the tray on a nearby table, and knocked on the door.

At this time, Catherine should be awake but still in bed. If she's fully awake, she would be watching some random TV channels, mostly romance or mystery. Since she has no one in her life, romantic love stories probably fills in that gap of her own fantasies. With a face like that, who would want her? She would only watch mystery shows if her current favorite romance wasn't on yet. Sometimes, Kagura would walk into her room to bring in laundry, and she would hear all of the corny bull crap couples in those shows would say. "Aww, I love you too." And "Don't let go Jake!" (4) were the ones that she would hear constantly, and it never failed to make her cringe. 

When no one answered, Kagura knocked on the door again. 

She heard Catherine's TV, but she still didn't open the damn door. 

Oh how Kagura wishes she can just knock the door down, and plop the breakfast tray on her bed and leave. But, nope. 'You must be polite towards the person you are serving.' Or that's what Otose-san says. Does Kagura do it? Yep, simply because if she doesn't, she would get kicked out of the house. 

Kagura knocks on the door as loudly as she can, restraining herself from knocking down the door. She heard Catherine groan, and footsteps grew louder and louder. 

Catherine opens the door to be greeted by her step-sister. 

Kagura picked up the tray from the table, and in the most kindest voice she can possibly make, she says: "Good Morning, dear sister. I made you your breakfast, as requested. Tamagoyaki, with a side of rice, and oolong tea." 

Her "sister" wears an unimpressed look when she looks at the tray, but doesn't say anything. 

"Just place it on the desk over there, and hurry up. Mom wants her breakfast, then we gotta get to the shop." She's currently wearing a face mask, and when she speaks, the mask slightly jiggles, making Kagura giggle on the inside. 

She places the tray on the glass table, and quickly glances at the TV mounted on the wall. Rather than being a romance or mystery show, the National TV News is playing. 

"...... Within half an hour, the Royal Family of Edo would like to share some exciting news with its citizens. We have been told that the news revolves around the prince who has been in isolation ever since the passing of the princess, besides making a brief appearance 2 years ago. More details later, so stay tuned." A news reporter said. Pictures of the Royal Family were displayed, but only the King and Queen, not the prince. Kagura wondered why the princes picture didn't show. 

When Ketsuno-Ana began to tell the weather forecast, Kagura walked out of Catherine's room without saying anything to her. Kagura quickly went to the kitchen to pick up her step-mothers breakfast tray, went up the stairs, set it down on a nearby table, and knocked on the door. When it opened, she was surprised. 

"Ah, Good Morning, Kagura-chan." Greeted the green-haired robot. 

"Good Morning Tama-san. I'm here to give mother her breakfast. Is she awake yet?" Kagura asked. 

Tama nodded her head. "Yes, she is. However, she's currently in the bathroom right now. Would you like me to deliver this to her?" She asked. 

"If it wouldn't be too much trouble." Kagura said, grabbing the tray from the table, and handing it to Tama. 

"Not at all. Have a good day, Kagura-chan." Tama smiled as she closed the door. 

Kagura smiled to herself. She may have had to deal with two people she absolutely despises in this household, but at least she has one friend (excluding Sadaharu) in the household she can really talk to. 

Kagura went back to the kitchen and made herself a light breakfast. She grabbed a small bowl, and scooped some rice into it. Then, she grabbed an egg from the fridge, and cracked it on top. Finally, she drizzled some soy sauce on top. She grabbed a spoon and with her bowl, she went to the living room to turn on the TV. 

She surfed through the channels until she found a cartoon. She settled with that, and began to devour her breakfast. When she finished, she held the bowl and continued to watch the cartoon. Within a few minutes, the channel automatically switched to the National TV News station. 

"We apologize for interrupting your program, but within a few minutes the King of Edo, King Kondo-Isao, along with his wife and son, will be revealing important news. This program is recommended to be seen by all of the citizens of Edo, as requested by his majesty himself, but is not absolutely required." 

Now, even though Kagura never really cared about the Royal Family, she was genuinely curious about this "important" news. What made it so special? Sure, the isolated prince was finally going to appear on TV again, but then what happens next? Is he going to stay isolated in the castle walls all over again, or is he going to venture into the city? Only time will tell. 

"And now the King and Queen of Edo is about reveal the news that we've all been waiting for!"

The TV now showed the King and Queen, dressed in formal kimonos, in front of the Royal Palace, waving and smiling to the thousands of people screaming and shouting in the streets. In front of the steps that lead to the front of the palace, there was a podium with a microphone on the top. 

Kondo and his wife walked down the steps and towards the podium. When they got down the steps, Kondo gave his wife a quick peck on the cheek, and stood in front of the podium. Tae walked up the stairs, and just watched her husband speak from afar.

“Good Morning citizens of Edo!” The king cheered. His voice was loud and clear, thanks to the speakers the microphone was connected to.

The cheers and screams grew louder, causing the Shinsengumi (who were guarding the castle) to push the crowd back a bit. The gates were currently open, making his royal highness more vulnerable to attacks.

“Today, the Royal Family has some very important news to share. I will be briefly mentioning it and then the prince himself will be elaborating it furthermore.”

The king took a deep breath. “Let’s keep it short and simple. The Royal Family is happy to announce that-”

The TV screen was turned off just before the news was going to be revealed. 

Kagura turned her head to look behind her shoulders, to be greeted by the not-so-happy faces of her adopted family. Well, besides Tama. She just wore a neutral face. Kagura saw that her mother was not very happy about her slacking off, as she had the spare TV remote in her hand.

“Just what do you think you are doing? This house is to be cleaned and here you are, slacking in front of the TV!” Otose boomed.

Kagura mumbled something, causing her to get yelled at by her step-mother.

“If you have something to say, look at me, not at the coffee table!”

Kagura sighed, and faced her step-mother looking her straight in her eyes.

“Sorry, mother, but I think that I deserve a break. I’ve been working non-stop for 6 hours, and I’m dead tired.”

Otose quickly scanned the living room, and saw nothing wrong. There was no debris on the cabinet, no dust on the glass table, and the plants were watered. The only thing that was out of place was the spare TV remote, but that was it. She could give her step-daughter a lesson about misplacing a remote, but she wasn’t feeling like it right now.

Otose walked around the bottom floor, inspecting the bathrooms, and the kitchen very thoroughly with her two daughters behind her. Nothing was out of place, and everything was practically perfect. There was nothing else Kagura could do until the 3 were out of the house. 

Not wanting to deal with her step-daughter right now, Otose simply sighed, and walked up to her daughter. 

"By the time we get home, I expect the beds made, the laundry put away, the toilet unclogged, the breakfast trays cleaned, and put back, both the shampoo and conditioner bottles to be replaced, all of the carpets vacuumed, all curtains to be closed, and everything else in the house to be in tip-top condition. Am I understood?" 

Kagura dipped her head into a bow. "Yes, mother."

"Good." With that, Otose and her 2 daughters left the house to tend the snack shop, leaving Kagura all alone with a bunch of chores to complete.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> 1) In Japan, sunrise is at 3:57 AM rather than 4 AM sharp. (I rounded it because my math teacher told me so. Nah, I did it because it would be exactly at a whole number, and it would be aesthetically pleasing for the eyes.) 
> 
> 2) A Tamagoyaki is an egg omelette but it's rolled into a rectangle. 
> 
> 3) A Makiyakinabe is a rectangular pan specifically made for making tamagoyaki. 
> 
> 4) "Don't let go, Jake!" An obvious reference to the movie "Titanic"
> 
> Hello again! I'm so sorry for the late upload. I had some personal matters to attend, and on top of that, I had writers block. I really didn't know what to do, so I wrote this chapter. (And I was hungry, as you may have noticed) I know it doesn't really go into depth of the story, but I wanted to post something so that I wouldn't keep you waiting any longer. I currently have finished writing the next chapter, but I'm currently editing it. Thank you so much for your patience! Until then!   
> -K3ira


	5. Chapter 5

It took only took 2 hours to complete all of her chores. She quickly did this and that, even if it wasn't the specific way Otose had taught her. She would most likely get scolded at, but she didn't give a damn anymore. 

Why did she always have to do her step-mother's biddings? Why couldn't she be treated like one of her daughters? Why couldn't she just be free? Kagura couldn't understand. 

Sometimes, the verbal abuse on top of all of the stupid chores her stupid step-mother gave her made Kagura think about running away. She has considered the idea many times, and even planned to execute the idea once. But, where would she go? To an orphanage? She hardly had any money and she had to support a monstrous dog, and her own monstrous appetite. If she was running away, you bet she's gonna take Sadaharu with her. He's her only true family left, and there's no way she would leave him alone. 

Where could she temporarily live? She could go live with Shinpachi, but he said he was constantly busy with helping his sister. He never specified exactly what he did, but she never questioned it any further. She didn't want to disturb him. 

She can't live with Gintoki, as he's busy with… other things. (Probably trying to seduce a few rich ladies.) And she does NOT want to wake up late at night to hear Gin-chan and his lady friend doing… stuff. The thought made Kagura shiver in disgust. 

The only thing she can do right now is to just deal with her crappy family. Maybe if she met someone special, he could take her away from this hell. What if she met someone special? Will she ever meet someone special? She hardly leaves the house, (Minus the mornings as she walks Sadaharu) so she doesn't meet people often. She doesn't go grocery shopping, since the fridge is constantly stocked with food. Even if it isn't, Otose would bring some groceries when she comes back from work. What if she can never leave this place? 

She truly does love this place as it was where she grew up. It was where beloved memories were made, but now it's completely the opposite. This house used to be filled with laughs and love. Now, it's just filled with tyrants and tears. At least through Kagura's eyes. 

As soon as she completed every single chore, she immediately plopped herself onto the couch in the living room. She began to think on what she could do today. 

Should she visit some friends? Go look for snacks? Practice her martial arts skills? Maybe even go guy hunting? She already finished everything she needed to do, and she could use some fresh air. Sadaharu still needs a walk, so why not? 

She got up from the couch, and ran up the stairs. Her feet walked down a small hallway until she reached her room. She gently twisted the door knob, and when it was open, she was greeted by licks from her dog. 

"Hey! Sadaharu! Stop!" She laughed as his kisses tickled her cheek. 

She calmed the dog down a bit before she began changing. She changed into her classic red cheongsam, wore black tights, adjusted her hair ornaments, and slipped into black shoes. To complete the look, she grabbed her iconic purple umbrella that was leaning against her nightstand, and walked out of her room with Sadaharu following right behind her. 

**********************************************************

The streets of the Kabuki District was overwhelmed by people. Kagura could hear all of the citizens gossiping about the news. 

"Did you hear what's going to happen?"

"I'm totally going. The prince will absolutely fall in love with me!" 

"I can't wait for the invites to come out!"

"Finally! Now we won't have to deal with a stupid princess from another country! We'll have an Edo citizen as our princess!"

"My mother already bought a beautiful gown for the night!"

"The prince is so dreamy/handsome/charming!"

Kagura looked at some people like they were growing an extra head. What were they talking about? The prince? Wasn't he was still hiding within those castle walls? 

She decided to ignore whatever she heard, and continued walking towards the dog park. When they arrived, Sadaharu began running around and played with some of the other dogs. Kagura simply plopped herself onto a nearby park bench, and admired the bright afternoon sky. The shadow hovering over her from the umbrella proved a nice, cool shade that made spring weather more comfortable. 

As she was identifying the shape of some of the clouds in the sky, she heard a thump. She turned her head to her left, then to her right. Her eyes met a man with brown eyes, and silver curly hair. 

"Yo, Gin-chan. What's up?" Kagura asked. 

"Nothing much. I was bored, so I walked around and saw you. Thought I'd say hi." He replied. 

"Aww, did someone not have luck with the ladies last night?" She taunted. 

Gintoki glared at her then sighed. "Nope. None."

"Poor thing. Want me to treat you to something?"

He narrowed his eyes. "Your being nice to me. I don't like it, so I'll pass."

Kagura simply shrugged. "Alright, it's your loss."

She he didn't show it, but she was glad he refused. She only brought enough money to buy exactly 5 boxes of sukonbu. The only reason why she offered to buy him something to be nice, since his expression expressed sadness. 

The two sat on the bench in silence for the next few minutes. While Kagura admired the beautiful sky, Gintoki was admiring the beautiful ladies walking by. He'd sometimes blow soft whistles to a pretty girl, much to Kagura's discomfort. 

There was much chatter in the park, mostly about the prince. She wanted to learn more about it, since she was genuinely curious to hear what it is. 

"Hey Gin-chan, do you know about this whole 'prince' thing? Everyone's been talking about it."

The perm head picked his nose. "You don't know about it?"

Kagura glared at him. 

Seeing her glare at him like that made his hands turn clammy. "Right, sorry, I forgot."

Kagura motioned her right hand for him to continue. "Well? What about him?"

Gintoki sighed in annoyance. "Apparently, the Royal Family have been having trouble trying to find a suitable consort for the prince. Because of this, the king wanted to host a ball in the castle, and invite every single Edo citizen to it. This way, if there's a girl that prince likes, he can put a ring on it."

Kagura frowned. "But I thought the prince was supposed to marry a princess? Isn't that one of the oaths?"

"Nope, it's just that a princess must be sworn to him. A girl can just date him and be considered a 'princess'. So long as they get married before the passing of the king, the prince would then ascend to the throne."

The vermilion colored hair girl looked at him with nothing but confusion in her eyes. "A girl? Just any girl? She doesn't have to be of royalty? He can just marry her?"

Gintoki nodded. "Yep, the king asked citizens for their opinion on having an Edo citizen as a princess/future queen a few weeks ago, and the replies were mostly positive. Today, they announced that the ball will take place, and that every single citizen is invited. He also highly encourages females to go."

Kagura's face saddened. 

"Hey, what's with the sad face? I thought you would be ecstatic to hear that you can finally go to the castle and try the food there." 

"I don't think I can go."

"What do you mean?"

"Two reasons. #1 I'm pretty sure Amanto aren't going to be invited to it. I mean, we kinda did invade the country 20+ years ago when the king's father was on the throne. What if he resents us?"

Gintoki scratched the back of his head. "Never thought about that."

"And #2, my step-mother would never let me go. I have to stay home and do useless chores, while she and her two daughters go off and have a blast. It's dumb."

"Wait, what about Catherine? Isn't she an Amanto?" 

"Yeah, what about it?"

"Well, if Amanto can't go, then that means she can't go either. I don't think she'll be able to hide her cat ears."

That made Kagura a little happier. If she can't have happiness, neither should them. Well, besides Tama. She's always been helping whenever she can, so she's cool. 

"If you wanna go that badly, why don't you just sneak in? You don't have cat ears, so it should be easy." 

Kagura chuckled. "I don't think being deathly pale looks human. Besides, if people there piss me off I wouldn't be able to hold back, revealing my strength."

"Ah well, worth mentioning it." 

It was silent for a moment, until the sound of rummaging filled the air. Kagura eyed the man who was looking for something in his pocket. When he finally found something, he handed it to her. It was in a small orange envelope. Curious to know what it was, she opened it. Inside, it contained money. A lot of it. At first, Kagura was puzzled. Why is a poor geezer like him giving her money? 

Seeing her confused face, Gintoki grinned. “It’s this month’s rent money. Forgot to give it to the old lady, so you can take it to her for me.”

Kagura wanted to slap herself. Sometimes, she even forgets that her best friends live right above her step-mothers snack shop. Although she doesn’t show it, every once in a while, she resents them both. Because of how they would forget to give the rent money, Otose would be in a sour mood on a lot of days, and take it all out on her. She would first complain about her day, then start screaming and yelling. She would then tell Kagura what to do, and it usually means an abundance amount of chores, and it had to be absolutely perfect. At least today, Otose would be a little more calm.

“Thanks, I’ll give it to her. Hopefully, she won’t be in a bad mood anymore.” 

Gintoki gave her a sympathetic smile. He knew about her living conditions, but he currently didn’t have the extra money to help her out.

Gintoki's mobile device began to play music right then, indicating that someone was trying to call him. He quickly picked it up and started talking. When he finished, he placed the phone in his pocket. He then got up from the bench, and looked down towards Kagura.

"Got a job with Megane. Talk to you later?"

"Yeah, sure. See ya!" She waved as the perm head walked away, returning the wave back. 

Kagura starting thinking. What if she does sneak into the castle? I mean, she can be stealthy, so maybe she can sneak in through the window? She shook the thought away. She just can't bring herself to do something like that. But what about the money? Should she spend it all on sukonbu? Or should she be a good girl and give it to her no good step-mother? She would decide later. As of now, she’ll keep the money in her pocket.

Enough time at the park. She was really craving the flavor of sour seaweed right now. 

"Sadaharu, time to leave!" She called. 

The white fluffy Inugami dropped the rope he was tugging at with another dog, and walked towards his owner. Kagura stroked her dogs hair, and began talking to him. 

"Did you have fun?" The dog replied with a woof. 

"I'll take that as a yes." Her companion kissed his owner on the cheek, causing her to giggle. 

"Come on, Sadaharu. Let's get some sukonbu!" She began walking towards the nearest supermarket with her dog following right behind her. 

**********************************************************  
Kagura was only able to buy 3 boxes opposed to 5. Apparently, the price increased since the last time she had visited, which was about 3 months ago. How was she able to survive without her favorite snack for so long? She doesn't even know. 

Once she finished paying, she didn't even wait until she got out of the supermarket before opening a pack. When she took one of the sticks out and placed it in her mouth, she instantly deemed that the snack was worth every penny she spent for it. 

Not wanting to go home yet, Kagura began roaming the streets for some food. She did have some spare money left, and the breakfast she had that morning barely made her full. So, she decided to snack on something that was a little more filling than seaweed. 

After a few minutes of wandering around, she finally came across a small bakery. The bakery door was open, allowing the scent of sweet bread fill the streets. The smell was enticing to Kagura, so she decided to buy a little something. 

"Sadaharu, I'm gonna buy a treat. Stay here and be a good boy, okay?"

The dog barked, and sat right beside the door. Kagura patted his head, and walked inside the bakery. 

Since there was a small line, Kagura needed to pass the time a bit. She looked towards the small TV behind the cashier, and started to listen to the news that was recapping what happened earlier that morning. 

"Today, His Royal Highness, and the prince has announced that all Edo citizens will be invited to the upcoming ball. This ball is to help find the prince a consort so he can ascend to the throne. Rather than finding a traditional princess, the king has asked the citizens Edo if they were willing to accept a normal girl as their next queen a few weeks back. There was a survey that was to be filled out asking about their opinion on it, and the majority of citizens are perfectly content with having someone simple as a queen. Invite are said to be released within the next week. More information will be revealed soon."

"Miss? Are you ready to purchase something?" 

The female voice of the cashier brought Kagura to reality. She took a few steps forward to buy a snack, and quickly scanned the menu beside the TV. 

"Yes, sorry. Can I have one taiyaki (1) to go please?" 

"Sure, which filling would you like? Red bean or custard?"

"Red bean please."

The cashier pressed a few buttons on the cash register, and asked for 200 yen. She gave her money, and the cashier placed it inside of the register. 

Another employee on the side then handed Kagura a warm, succulent, tasty taiyaki and wished her a nice day. She grabbed the treat, and thanked them. She then walked towards the door, and was greeted by her fluffy companion. 

"Time to go home. If Otose-san found out that I snuck out again, she'll make my life even worse if that's even possible."

Sadaharu whimpered, and nuzzled his nose on top of Kagura's head. She smiled sadly as her dog tried to comfort her. After a short moment together, Kagura began walking home with her loyal companion following right behind. 

Well, she was supposed to go home. But when she saw students training at a local dojo, she couldn’t help but feel her Yato blood pump through her. How long had it been since she last trained? 

She looked around the streets for a clock. None. She then walked towards a small gift shop that was packed with people, and peeked inside to find one. It read 1:30. Technically, she didn’t have to be home until 3:00. Maybe train for 45 minutes, then walk home. She lived a little far away, but 15 minutes should be a good amount of time to walk home. 

She quickly chomped her taiyaki, then walked towards the dojo. As soon as she got inside, adrenaline pumped through her veins. The anticipating feeling of fighting always did that to her. Even though she hasn’t properly sparred with someone in quite some time, her opponent was flat on his ass within seconds.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> 1) Taiyaki: A Japanese fish-shaped cake. It imitates the shape of the tai, which it is named after. The most common filling is red bean paste that is made from sweetened azuki beans. Other common fillings may be custard, chocolate, cheese, or sweet potato. (Thanks Wikipedia)
> 
> Hello! Next chapter is when the real stuff happens ;) Sorry for these more slow chapters! Right now, I'm practicing dialogue so this is my excuse to do so. Also, there has been a change to my non-existent update schedule. Unfortunately, I started school recently. This means that I won't have as much free time as I use to, as I will be prioritizing school work. I will update as soon as I can, but please note that my absence will be because of educationational purposes and not because of laziness. Thank you for understanding, until then!
> 
> -K3ira


	6. Chapter 6

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This little part occurs the night before the previous chapter. Happy Reading!

“What do you mean?”

“Exactly what I said.”

"But why?"

"Because your father said so."

"Why do I have to do what he says?"

"Because if you don't he could kick you out of the castle in a heartbeat."

Sougo sighed. "Point taken. When do I have to go?"

Hijikata puffed out a puff of smoke. "Tomorrow."

Sougo's eyes widened. "Tomorrow? Like, 24 hours from now?" 

At his advisors nod, Sougo's mind went blank. Why did he have to step out of the castle? To visit the country that took his sister away from him? Why in the world would he do such a thing? He does understand that one day, this country will be under his rule, and that he should at least take a tour of it. Just why so soon? 

But, then again, he could use some fresh air that's not from his patio. The palace food was luxurious, but the taste of simple udon noodles sounded appealing right about now. Maybe find a new sword, since his current one is on its last legs. Get some more bubble gum. Find a cute girl and invite her to the ball. There were so many things he needed to do, so he considered the idea. 

“Fine, I’ll go. How many guards need to come with?” Sougo asked.

“Not sure. The king just wanted me to tell you. Maybe you can go by yourself.”

The last statement caused Sougo to scoff. “Please. The day royalty step outside the castle without supervision is the day the world ends. I’ll just ask him myself.” He waved his hand to dismiss his advisor. 

Hijikata shrugged. “Whatever you say.”

He walked out of the bedroom, leaving Sougo alone with his thoughts. What else can he do while he’s there? Maybe he could eat some sushi drenched in tabasco sauce in honor of his sister. Get some new earbuds. Get more bubble gum. Maybe meet another girl. As much as he hated to admit it, he was actually excited to meet some of the ladies in town. Afterall, he was a handsome, 22 year-old prince but not once has he had a successful relationship with a female that wasn’t his mother or sister. The thought of meeting someone special made him feel giddy on the inside, much to his dismay. 

He sighed to himself, letting the gentle, soothing sounds of the night lull him to sleep.

**********************************************************

The next morning, Sougo woke up due to the most annoying thing. His father.

“Wake up, Sougo! Today’s the day you see your beautiful country in personal!”

Sougo groaned, and placed an extra pillow on top of his head in an attempt to drown the sound of his chatty father.

Kondo tried to wake him up again, but to no avail. He tried enticing his son with a banana like the gorilla he his. He tried bribing his son with new bubble gum flavors. He tried everything he could possibly think of, but yet Sougo wasn’t out of bed. Just when he was about to give up, he thought of another idea. Something he knew Sougo wouldn’t refuse.

He faked a sigh. “Well, if your not going to get up, I guess I’ll tell the gorgeous ladies that they’ll have to visit some other time.” He began walking towards the bedroom door, but then stopped when he heard the bed creak.

Within seconds after the announcement made from his father, the Prince of Edo was awake. He shot up from laying down, now sitting up straight. 

“Father, the least you could’ve done was to wake up. I wouldn’t want to let them keep waiting.” Sougo smiled, looking charming as ever, despite the under circles under his eyes. 

Kondo laughed. “Of course you fell for it. There’s no ladies waiting, but since your up, get ready. Breakfast will be on the table.” The king then walked out of the room, leaving a disappointed Sougo on the bed. 

Following his father’s request, Sougo got ready. He took care of his bladder, brushed his teeth until they were as blinding as the ones in a toothpaste ad, and combed his sandy-brown hair. He then went into his closet to see a kimono ready for him. It was another red one, but this time, it was quite similar to the one his parents wore a few days ago. Rather than it having a golden dragon on it, it had the pattern of gold dragon scales on the bottom half. It looked nice, and he wasn’t feeling like complaining today, so he quickly changed into it. As it was a more of a warmer day in Edo, no hat was required. To finish it off, he wore a simple pair of black shoes. After he was all glammed up by his maids, he went to eat breakfast.

When he began eating, his father blabbed about being nice to the citizens and news reporters, and making sure to answer any questions. While his father talked about being courteous to others, his mother focused on more of the ladies. She told him that if there was someone that caught his eye, he should approach her in a calm manner and to always act polite towards them. She even told him to pay for something if she so happened wanted to purchase something. Sougo tried to tune his parents out, but ended up listening.

“Mom, don’t worry, I’ll be fine.” Sougo said, in an attempt to reassure his mother. It didn’t work.

“No, no! Your gonna burn up in the sun! Apply some sunblock right now!” His mother signaled for a nearby servant to bring some. The servant scurried off, then returned with a yellow bottle.

“Oh come on, the tear-free one?” He whined.

“Now, now, this is for your own good. We wouldn’t want a sunburn, would we?” Kondo said, not because he cared about his son's skin, but because he didn’t want to deal with a hot-headed wife. 

Sougo shook his head. “I’m not putting it on. It’s 27°C (1) today, meaning it’s going to be nice. If I do get burned, I’ll put on some aloe vera or something.” He kissed his parents goodbye, and walked out of the castle doors with 4 guards behind him. The stairs that lead to the main door leads to plain streets that were previously full of citizens yesterday. He thought it was amazing to think that an empty space can be filled with so many people.He walked for a good 1.6 kilometers (2) before finally arriving to the beautiful streets of Edo. At first, nobody really paid attention to him. They probably thought, "Oh, it's some random dude with huge guys behind him. How normal." But when Sougo started to flash people with a charming smile, the whole street began freaking out. There were both subtle and obnoxious greetings given to him. A few people bowed as he walked by, while the majority of people (mostly fangirls) screamed and rushed over to him, asking him for pictures and autographs. Within a matter of moments, the man with gorilla looking things behind him became the most popular guy on the street. 

At first, Sougo was totally freaked out. Never in his life was he ever asked to write a random scribble on a piece of a tree, nor has he been asked to take a picture with a girl who had blond hair and blue braces. Never before in his life has his mind been overwhelmed with all of the commotion going on, nor has his heart began to pound so fast as everything was happening too quick. 

He didn't know how to deal with such a large amount of people at one time, so his guards had to step in. What started off as simple "Please give His Majesty some space." turned into shoving and pushing. Even that didn't seem to push people away. If anything, that made people more attracted to the prince rather than pushing them away for some weird reason. 

It took less than 5 minutes for the paparazzi to come. Sougo could tell by the blinding flashes cameras were giving away. News reporters began fighting through the crowd to ask questions. 

"Your Majesty, is it true that you were hiding in the castle because you were mourning the death of your sister, Princess Mitsuba?"

"Your Majesty, what is the specific reason why you and your father have decided to host a ball for the country?"

"Your Majesty, are you here in order to invite some ladies to the ball?"

Rather than answering, Sougo quickly dismissed the reporters, briefly telling them that he would be happy to answer questions at another time. For now, he had to get out of the huge crowd and deal with citizens at a later date. 

Slowly, he began to gently push people away while brainstorming ideas. How in the world would he be able to avoid people who are practically crazy over him? His eyes darted to nearby cafes and shops, but none of them would really cover him. They would follow him anyways, so there was no point in trying to outrun them. Unless…

"Let's see how dumb people are." He thought. 

Taking a deep breath, he proceeded with his plan. 

He started with a gasp. "Oh look, it's my father and mother! Please welcome His and Her Majesty!" He made sure to project his voice as loud as he could so that everyone could hear. He pointed to some trees, drawing people's attention to them. As soon as he pointed his feet glided across the floor, shoved people out of his way, then went to run to a nearby alleyway. Not so long after, he heard the sounds of footsteps following behind. Before he could even turn into the alleyway, a few group of girls already caught up with him. He didn't bother looking at them, but he knew they were there by their screaming and screeching noises. He mentally rolled his eyes, and then made a left turn. Not so surprisingly, they followed. 

This scenario of “follow the leader” played out for the next few minutes. When Sougo made a right, the crowd made a right. When he made a left, they made a left. When he doesn’t make a turn, they don’t make a turn. Exactly how was he supposed to avoid all of these people when they copy every single move he does?

He thought about running into a store and hide it out there, but it seemed impossible. But, it was his only idea, and the worst thing that can happen is just needing to take pictures and signing autographs. It was a chance he was willing to take.

He ran into a small alleyway, and ran inside into a small shop through the back door. As soon as he ran inside, he shut the door closed, which was followed by the sounds of knocking, yelling, and screaming. When he turned around, he was greeted by the face of an old man and his wife. Their eyes widen in shock, but before Sougo could explain, the wife was already dialing 911 on a nearby phone. Just when Sougo was going to interfere, the husband took then phone away from her.

“Sweetie, it’s okay! This is the prince, not some random robber.” He explained, gently calming his wife down.

His wife almost cried, tears on the verge of spilling. Blinking the salty liquid away, her eyes cleared up. What she saw was indeed the prince himself. She bowed towards Sougo, and she uttered an apology. 

“I-I’m so sorry! I-i thought you were…” Her voice quivered. She broke down before she could finish, causing her husband to comfort her. She cried into the side of her husband’s neck, and he held his wife as close to him as he could. The old man turned towards Sougo.

“Sorry about this. She dealt with something like this a few decades ago, causing her to be scarred for life.” He whispered. 

Sougo felt sorry for the old woman. He didn’t mean to scare her, he just needed a safe place to get away from the crowd. But, to think that someone caused this trauma to an innocent person made him sick to his stomach. At that point, Sougo made a mental vow to himself: Once he’s king, he’ll do everything in his power to end robberies and other crimes.

After a few minutes, the sound of people banging on the back door died down, along with the sound of the wife’s sobs. 

She took a deep breath, and released herself from her husbands embrace. She quickly dabbed her eyes with the sleeves of her beige kimono before apologizing for a second time. 

“I’m sorry about all of that. Can I make it up to you by making you some tea?”

He wasn’t supposed to stay, since he had some errands to attend to. But, Sougo didn’t know what came over him, since he nodded.

**********************************************************

Sougo found himself sitting around a kotatsu (3) along with the old man and his wife in a small space behind the store itself. He was served some green tea with a side of cracker nuts. (4) 

When the couple asked Sougo questions, he answered them, without giving too much away. 

“Why are you out of the castle?” They asked. “For business work.” He’d reply. He doesn’t have a business, but what they don’t know won’t kill them. The only thing he was honest about was about how he ran inside the shop. The two looked sincere when Sougo told the story, and even laughed when he said he could identify the crowd as teenage girls when he heard screams and squeals.

Time was passing, but before Sougo could leave, he wanted to buy something from the couple’s store. He asked if he could browse around, but the old man’s face saddened. 

“We don’t have a lot to sell. We’ve practically sold everything we had left.”

Confused, Sougo excused himself to go check out the main store. He exited through a door, and what the old man said was true. Glass counters were filled with empty cardboard boxes. Clothes racks only had a few shirts and pants here and there. Papers were scattered all over the floor. As Sougo walked around, he saw a newspaper on a small white table with his father on the front page with the headline “NEW MESSAGE FROM THE KING!”. Right beside it was a note that read “EVICTED.” in red bold letters.

Sougo’s heart sank. As if he knew what expression Sougo was wearing, the old man, who was behind him, explained. 

“When my wife was a worker here a few decades ago, a robber came and pointed a gun at her, demanding money in a bag. When she opened the register, all of the money was gone, since the owner at that time took the money to the bank. Enraged that he wasn’t going to get any money, the robber shot her 3 times.” The old man shivered.

“She was rushed to a nearby hospital, and thankfully, she survived. However, she lost a lot of blood by the time she arrived, and they needed type AB, but they didn’t have any. I worked as a receptionist there at the time, and gave her some of my blood. While she was recovering, I often visited her during my lunch breaks, and overtime, we fell in love.” The old man smiled as he recalled some of his favorite memories.

“The owner wanted to sell this shop because the reputation of it was tarnished after that event. My wife bought the shop from him, claiming that people wouldn’t stop shopping somewhere just because of a shooting. I helped her pay for it, and I left my job at the hospital to be with her. Together, we ran the business. At first, we were selling a lot of items, but overtime, the amount we sold started to diminish. We couldn’t afford the rent for the past 3 months, so we got evicted.”

Sougo stood silent. Half of him wanted to help, but the other half didn’t. What if he was using this sob story so that the prince would give him some money? After a little bit of thinking, he decided to compromise.

“I’m sorry to hear about that. If it helps, maybe I can buy some items?” 

The old man’s eyes lit up. “You don’t have to.”

“Please, let me.” With that, Sougo grabbed a red t-shirt of a hanger, and snagged some black pants off another rack. He also grabbed a pair of sunglasses, along with some aloe vera gel that was sitting on a shelf.

“Maybe I should’ve listened to Mom about the sunblock…” Sougo thought. He felt a burning sensation on his skin a few moments ago, so he decided to buy a bottle of that green goo.

Sougo asked if there was a changing room around, and the old man pointed to one. Sougo went inside, changed into his outfit, and came out with his kimono in one hand, and his wallet in another. He walked to the old man, and asked him how much it was going to cost him. 

“Don’t worry about it. It’s on the house.”

Not wanting to get his items for free, Sougo handed him five 10,000 bills. (5)

“Thank you for your hospitality today. I wish you and your wife the best.” Before the old man could say “Thank you” or protest, Sougo waved towards the old man, and walked out the front door.

**********************************************************

“So that’s why the crowd didn’t come through the front door.” Sougo thought out loud. 

On the front of the door was the “Closed” sign. Sougo wondered why the crowd didn’t find an alternative method into coming inside the store, and he then he found his answer.

Sougo spent the next 2 hours buying items. He already bought his bubble gum, and his new sword. The next thing he wanted to accomplish was to buy a nice, warm bowl of udon noodles. He walked down the street until he hit a well populated noodle restaurant. He went inside, got seated down, and was served a glass of water. While waiting for his waiter, he watched the tv. The news channel was currently on, and it was about the announcement that was made yesterday. Had he not wear his sunglasses, he would’ve been recognized already. He also placed his kimono inside the same bag as his bubblegum (the employee gave him a big bag as he purchased a bunch of gum) to avoid anyone recognizing it as the colors of royalty. He even bought a cap to cover his sandy-brown hair. 

When his waiter arrived, Sougo requested some udon noodles that were extra firm. After a few moments later, his meal was served. As he began to chomp down on his noodles, the news anchor began to report some important news.

“According to various websites and people, the Prince of Edo himself has stepped into the city for the first time in years!”

Pictures that were previously taken hours ago flooded the screen. It showed Sougo pushing people away, making disgusted faces, and him running away.

People in the store began to whisper. 

“Wow, he seems like a jerk!”

“He won’t even take pictures, or sign autographs for his citizens!”

“How come he doesn’t want to answer some simple questions?”

Sougo tried to drown out the sound of people criticizing him by chewing his noodles as loud as he could. He finished his meal, paid his bill and left the restaurant within a matter of seconds after the pictures were revealed.

“They just don’t get it.” Sougo thought. 

He walked down the street until he heard shouting, screaming, and cheering. He turned around, and saw a big crowd of people surrounding a dojo in the distance. He wondered what the commotion was all about, so he decided to walk towards it.

Initially, he couldn’t see squat. He had to push some people out of the way before he could see anything. But, just because he pushed some people out of the way, it doesn’t mean that he saw people fighting or anything. By him pushing people, the only noticeable difference seen was the floor. Rather it being gray from the gravel and rocks, it was now red satin. The screams and cheers got louder as soon as he entered, making him more determined to find out what was going on.

He pushed some people out of the way for a solid 5 minutes before he could finally see what was going on. When he saw what people were cheering about, his eyes widen in surprise.

They were cheering for a girl. A beautiful one, he might add.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> 1) 27°C = About 80°F for my fellow Americans. Japanese people refer to the Metric System opposed to the Imperial System.  
> 2) 1.609 kilometer = About a mile (Rounded the number for aesthetic reasons again)  
> 3) Kotatsu = A low, wooden table frame covered by a futon, or heavy blanket, upon which a table top sits. Underneath is a heat source, formerly a charcoal brazier but now electric, often built into the table itself. (Thanks Wikipedia (again))  
> 4) Cracker Nuts = Cracker nuts, also known as Japanese peanuts or Japanese style peanuts are a snack food made from peanuts that are coated in a wheat flour dough and then fried or deep-fried. They come in a variety of different flavours. (Thanks Wikipedia (again x2))  
> 5) 50,000 yen = About $500 US dollars. Side note, I’m not sure if japanese people refer to the bills as notes or vice - versa, so I’m sorry if I got that wrong.
> 
> Hello again after 2 months! I originally thought that I would be able to post this chapter sooner, but it turns out I was wrong. I forgot how important grades were, so a lot of my time was about raising my grade, or maintaining it. Because of that, I kinda forgot about this fanfiction, so I apologize for that. I'm also sorry for a misleading endnote last episode. As you may or may not recall, I stated that "Next chapter is when the real stuff happens ;)" I got side tracked and started to write about an old couple, making the chapter longer. However, as you can tell, next chapter is when it's actually going to start. Unfortunately, I don't know exactly when I'm going to be able to post that chapter, as I have upcoming tests and tasks I have to focus on. Hopefully, I'll be able to post it within the next month or so. Until then! <3 
> 
> -K3ira

**Author's Note:**

> Hello! Hopefully I'll be able to upload the next chapter within a few days. Until then!  
> -K3ira


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